EP0519695B1 - Procédé et appareil pour permettre à des circuits d'ordinateur de fonctionner avec des versions mises à jour de logiciel d'ordinateur - Google Patents

Procédé et appareil pour permettre à des circuits d'ordinateur de fonctionner avec des versions mises à jour de logiciel d'ordinateur Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0519695B1
EP0519695B1 EP92305533A EP92305533A EP0519695B1 EP 0519695 B1 EP0519695 B1 EP 0519695B1 EP 92305533 A EP92305533 A EP 92305533A EP 92305533 A EP92305533 A EP 92305533A EP 0519695 B1 EP0519695 B1 EP 0519695B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
hardware
version
software
computer
optimal
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP92305533A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0519695A2 (fr
EP0519695A3 (en
Inventor
Curtis Priem
Chris Malachowsky
Bruce Mcintyre
Guy Moffat
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sun Microsystems Inc
Original Assignee
Sun Microsystems Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sun Microsystems Inc filed Critical Sun Microsystems Inc
Publication of EP0519695A2 publication Critical patent/EP0519695A2/fr
Publication of EP0519695A3 publication Critical patent/EP0519695A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0519695B1 publication Critical patent/EP0519695B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F9/00—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units
    • G06F9/06—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
    • G06F9/44—Arrangements for executing specific programs
    • G06F9/455—Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F8/00—Arrangements for software engineering
    • G06F8/70—Software maintenance or management
    • G06F8/71—Version control; Configuration management
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F9/00—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units
    • G06F9/06—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
    • G06F9/44—Arrangements for executing specific programs
    • G06F9/445—Program loading or initiating
    • G06F9/44536—Selecting among different versions
    • G06F9/44542—Retargetable
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F9/00—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units
    • G06F9/06—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
    • G06F9/44—Arrangements for executing specific programs
    • G06F9/455—Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
    • G06F9/45533—Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
    • G06F9/45537—Provision of facilities of other operating environments, e.g. WINE

Definitions

  • This invention relates to computer circuitry, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for allowing a new version of an architecture implementing new features to run both old and new versions of software for that architecture.
  • first versions of software are written to make use of the features that the hardware implements.
  • new versions of software are also released to make use of these newer features.
  • the hardware designers try to make their hardware compatible with all of the previous versions of software so that earlier versions of software may be run on the more recent hardware versions. Unless this can be accomplished, the hardware must wait for software to be developed before significant sales will occur. Sometimes this compatibility is not possible because of the way the various versions of hardware have been configured. The lack of backward compatibility has been known to turn excellent products into economic failures.
  • an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for assuring that new versions of hardware are compatible with versions of software written for older versions of the hardware.
  • an apparatus as claimed in claim 1 for assuring the compatibility of versions of software produced for a particular computer hardware architecture comprising a hardware version register, means for providing an indication of a version of hardware being utilized to operate a particular version of software, a software version register, means for providing an indication of a version of hardware for which the software being run was designed, means for comparing the indication of the version of hardware and the indication of a version of hardware for which the software being run was designed, means responsive to the results of the comparison for setting defaults and enabling circuitry in the hardware if the hardware is newer than the software, and means responsive to the results of the comparison for causing the software to refer to hardware for only those functions it is capable of implementing and emulating those functions not in the hardware so that the version of software runs correctly on the version of hardware.
  • a method corresponding to this apparatus is claimed in claim 4.
  • Claim 5 defines an alternative apparatus.
  • the manipulations performed are often referred to in terms, such as adding or comparing, which are commonly associated with mental operations performed by a human operator. No such capability of a human operator is necessary or desirable in most cases in any of the operations described herein which form part of the present invention; the operations are machine operations.
  • Useful machines for performing the operations of the present invention include general purpose digital computers or other similar devices. In all cases the distinction between the method operations in operating a computer and the method of computation itself should be borne in mind.
  • the present invention relates to apparatus and to method steps for operating a computer in processing electrical or other (e.g. mechanical, chemical) physical signals to generate other desired physical signals.
  • Such a register allows a new version of software to read the hardware version indication and perform in accordance with the functionality of the version of hardware available. That is, the software seeing the version of hardware on which it is running may carry out only functions adapted to work on that hardware. As may be realized, this is very useful because the software may be structured so that it will not attempt functions which will not run on older hardware and which might cause that hardware to work improperly.
  • the software may accomplish this by causing values to be stored to indicate that certain hardware operations should not run.
  • the software provides processes for emulating those operations of the hardware which are not a part of the older hardware but are included as features of the newer software Then, when the comparison is made, the software recognizes that the function cannot be accomplished in hardware, so it does not attempt the function in hardware. Instead, whenever the function is attempted, the software transfers to a software process which emulates the missing hardware function.
  • the comparison causes the hardware to configure itself to appear as though it were the hardware which the older software expects to see.
  • the hardware does this by disabling those new functions which the older software cannot run. Typically this is accomplished by setting state and utilizing logic in the hardware to disable these newer hardware functions.
  • the comparison has no effect on the operation of the older software; it simply run as it would typically run on the older version of hardware for which it was designed.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a pair of registers 10 and 12.
  • the register 10 may be a read only register hardwired to store a value of a particular piece of hardware when power is applied to the hardware. This value may indicate the version of the hardware. For example, four bit positions are provided in register 10, as illustrated in Figure 1, so that sixteen individual versions may be indicated.
  • the register 12, on the other hand, may be used to store a value provided by a particular version of a piece of software. Again, four bit positions are provided so that sixteen versions of the software may be stored.
  • the value indicates the version of hardware for which the software was designed.
  • the value might indicate an actual version of software and a lookup table provided to indicate which functions are provided by which software.
  • Each of the values stored in the registers 10 and 12 are transferred to a hardware comparison circuit 14.
  • the hardware includes circuitry to conduct the comparison using a comparator.
  • the hardware uses this comparison to generate signals (for example, using a state machine or combinatorial logic) setting default values and disabling certain functions so that the hardware appears to the software to be the hardware for which that sofware was designed.
  • the results of the comparison are illustrated in the figure by the various output signals from the comparator 14.
  • the hardware When the hardware is a older version than that for which the software was designed, the hardware simply acts in its normal manner.
  • the software In a case in which the software is designed for a newer version of hardware than the hardware available, the software reads the value in the register 10. If it sees that it is designed for later hardware, the software disables any of its operations which the older hardware cannot accomplish and indicates that those functions are instead to be emulated in software. If the software sees that the hardware version is newer than the version for which it was written, it simply carries out its normal functions.
  • the arrangement allows any version of software to be run on any version of hardware which includes the two registers.
  • the register used for holding the software version number be one which may be both read and written during program operation.
  • this hardware circuit is a graphics accelerator circuit to be used for displaying the output of programs on a computer output display, such a circuit may be displaying a number of application programs at the same time in a number of windows on the display.
  • Some of these application programs may be capable of using certain features of the hardware while other programs may not.
  • certain programs new programs
  • the hardware be able to implement the features for which each program is adapted each time the hardware switches to operate that program. To accomplish this, the value of the software version must be changeable as the program being run changes; and the comparison must be made with each change.
  • this is accomplished by requiring the hardware to make a new comparison each time a new value is written to the software version register. Then each time software makes use of the hardware, the first thing it does is to write to the software version register forcing the comparison. Simultaneously, the software reads the hardware version register so that the software can configure itself. In this manner, each of a number of programs running on a particular piece of hardware force the comparison at each use and correctly render the hardware and software compatible.
  • FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the steps of the operation described above by which software in its various versions is made compatible with various versions of a particular piece of hardware.
  • the process begins typically on power-up of the hardware where at step 20 a hardware version number in a hardware version register becomes available.
  • the program being run writes a software version number to a software version register.
  • a comparison of the values in the hardware version register and the software version register is made.
  • the hardware sets the various default values so that it appears to be the version of hardware for which the program was designed.
  • the software disables calls to the hardware for those new functions which are not implemented in the older hardware and indicates that these functions must be implemented by software processes as shown in step 28.
  • the hardware version register and the software version register are equal then no changes must be made to the software or the hardware.

Claims (5)

  1. Système pour assurer la compatibilité de versions d'un logiciel produit pour une architecture matérielle particulière d'un ordinateur comprenant un moyen (20) pour fournir une indication d'une version de matériel utilisé pour faire tourner une version particulière du logiciel, un moyen (22) pour fournir une indication d'une version optimale de matériel pour ledit logiciel particulier en cours, ladite version optimale de matériel étant un matériel pour lequel a été conçue ladite version de logiciel, un moyen (24) pour comparer l'indication de la version de matériel et l'indication d'une version optimale de matériel;
       l'agencement étant caractérisé par :
    un moyen (26) recevant les résultats de la comparaison pour invalider un circuit dans le matériel informatique si la version du matériel est plus récente que la version optimale de matériel; et
    un moyen (28) recevant les résultats de la comparaison pour amener le logiciel à se référer au matériel pour seulement les fonctions qu'il peut mettre en oeuvre et pour émuler les fonctions non présentes dans le matériel de telle façon que la version du logiciel puisse fonctionner correctement avec la version du matériel.
  2. Agencement pour assurer la compatibilité de versions d'un logiciel produit pour une architecture matérielle particulière d'ordinateur selon la revendication 1, dans lequel le moyen (20) pour fournir une indication d'une version de matériel utilisé pour faire tourner une version particulière de logiciel comprend un premier registre (10) pour stocker l'indication, et dans lequel le moyen (22) pour fournir une identification d'une version optimale de matériel pour ledit logiciel particulier en cours comprend un second registre (12) pour stocker l'indication.
  3. Agencement pour assurer la compatibilité de versions d'un logiciel produit pour une architecture matérielle particulière d'ordinateur selon la revendication 2, dans lequel le premier registre (10) comprend une mémoire morte câblée, et dans lequel le second registre (12) pour le stockage de l'indication peut être écrit et lu pendant une quelconque opération.
  4. Procédé pour assurer la compatibilité de versions d'un logiciel produit pour une architecture matérielle particulière d'ordinateur comprenant les étapes suivantes :
    fournir une indication d'une version de matériel utilisé pour faire tourner une version particulière de logiciel (20);
    fournir une indication d'une version optimale de matériel pour la version particulière de logiciel (22), ladite version optimale de matériel étant une version particulière de matériel pour laquelle ladite version de logiciel en cours a été conçue;
    comparer les indications de la version de matériel et de la version optimale de matériel (24);
       procédé caractérisé en ce qu'il invalide un circuit (26, 28) dans le matériel spécifique d'ordinateur en réponse aux résultats de la comparaison des indications si la version de matériel est plus récente que la version optimale de matériel, et en ce qu'il amène le logiciel à se référer au matériel particulier d'ordinateur pour seulement les fonctions que le matériel particulier d'ordinateur peut mettre en oeuvre et en ce qu'il émule les fonctions non présentes dans le matériel particulier d'ordinateur de telle façon que la version particulière de logiciel puisse tourner correctement avec la version du matériel.
  5. Système pour assurer la compatibilité de versions d'un logiciel produit pour un système particulier de matériel informatique, ledit agencement comprenant un système de matériel informatique, ledit système de matériel informatique possédant un numéro de version de matériel, ledit système de matériel informatique comprenant un registre de version de matériel (10), ledit registre de version de matériel (10) stockant ledit numéro de version de matériel, un registre de version de logiciel (12), un programme informatique devant être exécuté avec ledit système de matériel informatique, ledit programme informatique possédant un numéro de version optimale de matériel indiquant un numéro de version particulière de matériel pour laquelle ledit programme informatique a été conçu, ledit programme informatique stockant ledit numéro de version optimale de matériel dans ledit registre de version de logiciel (12), ledit programme informatique lisant ledit registre de version de matériel (10) et comparant ledit numéro de version de matériel avec ledit numéro de version optimale de matériel;
       si ledit numéro de version optimale de matériel est plus grand que ledit numéro de version de matériel, ledit agencement étant alors caractérisé par le fait que :
    ledit programme informatique élimine toute référence au premier sous-ensemble de fonctions non disponibles dans le système de matériel informatique possédant ledit numéro de version de matériel;
    ledit programme informatique émule un second sous-ensemble de fonctions non disponibles dans le système de matériel informatique possédant ledit numéro de version de matériel; et
    un circuit de comparaison (14) dudit système de matériel informatique compare ledit numéro de version de matériel dudit registre de version de matériel (10) avec ledit numéro de version optimale de matériel stocké dans ledit registre de version de logiciel (12), ledit circuit de comparaison (14) configurant ledit système de matériel informatique pour éliminer des caractéristiques non présentes dans ladite version particulière de matériel définie par ledit numéro de version optimale de matériel si ledit numéro de version de matériel est plus grand que le numéro de version optimale de matériel.
EP92305533A 1991-06-17 1992-06-17 Procédé et appareil pour permettre à des circuits d'ordinateur de fonctionner avec des versions mises à jour de logiciel d'ordinateur Expired - Lifetime EP0519695B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US71667291A 1991-06-17 1991-06-17
US716672 1996-09-13

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0519695A2 EP0519695A2 (fr) 1992-12-23
EP0519695A3 EP0519695A3 (en) 1993-09-22
EP0519695B1 true EP0519695B1 (fr) 1999-10-13

Family

ID=24878952

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP92305533A Expired - Lifetime EP0519695B1 (fr) 1991-06-17 1992-06-17 Procédé et appareil pour permettre à des circuits d'ordinateur de fonctionner avec des versions mises à jour de logiciel d'ordinateur

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US5577232A (fr)
EP (1) EP0519695B1 (fr)
JP (1) JP3227542B2 (fr)
KR (1) KR100292005B1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69230117T2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (41)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
KR950002162B1 (ko) * 1992-02-12 1995-03-14 삼성전자주식회사 Cpu 로직의 자동 절환 장치
JPH07295911A (ja) * 1994-04-20 1995-11-10 Canon Inc データ処理装置およびネットワークシステム
US6452629B1 (en) * 1995-03-15 2002-09-17 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha System for installing image sensing program
JP3671543B2 (ja) * 1996-09-10 2005-07-13 ソニー株式会社 データ伝送方法、データ送信装置、データ受信装置のパラメータ設定方法、データ受信装置及びデータ伝送システム
DE19703894B4 (de) * 1997-02-03 2004-08-19 Robert Bosch Gmbh Verfahren zum Steuern eines Heizgerätes
US5978916A (en) * 1997-11-25 1999-11-02 International Business Machines Corporation Method, system and computer program product for updating region-dependent software using a common update module for multiple regions
US6615344B1 (en) * 1999-09-03 2003-09-02 Infineon Technologies North America Corp. System and method for tracking selectively enabling modules used in an integrated processor using a tracking register providing configuration information to an external pin
US6754848B1 (en) * 1999-09-30 2004-06-22 International Business Machines Corporation Method, system and program products for operationally migrating a cluster through emulation
US6452599B1 (en) * 1999-11-30 2002-09-17 Ati International Srl Method and apparatus for generating a specific computer hardware component exception handler
US6658659B2 (en) * 1999-12-16 2003-12-02 Cisco Technology, Inc. Compatible version module loading
US6677951B2 (en) * 2000-03-03 2004-01-13 Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. Entertainment apparatus having compatibility and computer system
JP3964142B2 (ja) * 2000-08-15 2007-08-22 株式会社ソニー・コンピュータエンタテインメント エミュレート装置及び部品、情報処理装置、エミュレーション方法、記録媒体、プログラム
DE10110949A1 (de) * 2001-03-07 2002-09-26 Siemens Ag Automatisierte Versions-Analyse von zu einer Softwareapplikation gehörenden Softwarekomponenten
US6968183B2 (en) 2001-11-02 2005-11-22 Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ) Determining a multi-module dependent parameter at a telecommunication node
AU2002354094B2 (en) 2001-12-13 2006-10-19 Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. Methods and apparatus for secure distribution of program content
ATE542325T1 (de) 2001-12-21 2012-02-15 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc Verfahren und vorrichtungen zur sicheren verteilung von programminhalt
US7036005B2 (en) * 2001-12-31 2006-04-25 Intel Corporation Method and apparatus for modifying the contents of revision identification register
US20030167334A1 (en) * 2002-03-04 2003-09-04 Mark Henry Butler Provision of content to a client device
US7065560B2 (en) * 2002-03-12 2006-06-20 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Verification of computer program versions based on a selected recipe from a recipe table
US20030191870A1 (en) * 2002-04-02 2003-10-09 Dominic Duggan Method and apparatus for updating software libraries
US6892320B1 (en) * 2002-06-03 2005-05-10 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Method and apparatus for providing multiple-version support for highly available objects
US7100032B2 (en) * 2002-06-28 2006-08-29 Intel Corporation Method and apparatus for identifying hardware compatibility and enabling stable software images
US7363237B1 (en) * 2002-12-31 2008-04-22 Adams Phillip M Enforcement process for correction of hardware and software defects
US20040193609A1 (en) * 2003-03-26 2004-09-30 Sony Corporation Master content directory service server for providing a consolidated network-wide content directory
US20050055352A1 (en) * 2003-09-08 2005-03-10 Sony Corporation Content directory and synchronization bridge
US20050060370A1 (en) * 2003-09-17 2005-03-17 Sony Corporation Version based content distribution and synchronization system and method
US7925790B2 (en) * 2003-09-17 2011-04-12 Sony Corporation Middleware filter agent between server and PDA
US20050060578A1 (en) * 2003-09-17 2005-03-17 Sony Corporation Method of and system for authentication downloading
US7735000B2 (en) * 2003-09-25 2010-06-08 Sony Corporation Information and content exchange document type definitions to support content distribution
JP3915808B2 (ja) * 2003-09-26 2007-05-16 オムロン株式会社 プログラマブルコントローラおよびプログラマブルコントローラシステムならびにｃｐｕユニット
US8689113B2 (en) * 2004-01-22 2014-04-01 Sony Corporation Methods and apparatus for presenting content
US20050165941A1 (en) * 2004-01-22 2005-07-28 Edward Eytchison Methods and apparatuses for streaming content
US20050262337A1 (en) * 2004-05-24 2005-11-24 Siemens Vdo Automotive Corporation Method and device for determining flash software compatibility with hardware
KR100933389B1 (ko) * 2004-09-20 2009-12-22 소니 컴퓨터 엔터테인먼트 인코포레이티드 소프트웨어 애플리케이션을 에뮬레이트하는 방법 및 장치
CN1906576B (zh) * 2004-09-20 2010-05-12 索尼计算机娱乐公司 分布软件应用的方法与设备
JP2006099411A (ja) * 2004-09-29 2006-04-13 Oki Electric Ind Co Ltd ソフトウェアの使用制限方法
US7506336B1 (en) * 2005-06-29 2009-03-17 Emc Corporation System and methods for version compatibility checking
US7783878B2 (en) * 2006-04-28 2010-08-24 Nokia Corporation Methods for decoupling hardware settings from software
JP5368878B2 (ja) * 2009-05-25 2013-12-18 キヤノン株式会社 情報処理装置、製造装置及びデバイス製造方法
US9760113B2 (en) 2015-02-20 2017-09-12 Sony Interactive Entertainment America Llc Backward compatibility through use of spoof clock and fine grain frequency control
CN104978224B (zh) * 2015-07-06 2018-11-20 张兆琦 一种面向多硬件平台的应用程序管理方法

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4590556A (en) * 1983-01-17 1986-05-20 Tandy Corporation Co-processor combination
US4876639A (en) * 1983-09-20 1989-10-24 Mensch Jr William D Method and circuitry for causing sixteen bit microprocessor to execute eight bit op codes to produce either internal sixteen bit operation or internal eight bit operation in accordance with an emulation bit
US4677548A (en) * 1984-09-26 1987-06-30 Honeywell Information Systems Inc. LSI microprocessor chip with backward pin compatibility and forward expandable functionality
JPS6226535A (ja) * 1985-07-22 1987-02-04 インタ−ナショナル　ビジネス　マシ−ンズ　コ−ポレ−ション プログラム内の変換テ−ブルの修正方法
US4763242A (en) * 1985-10-23 1988-08-09 Hewlett-Packard Company Computer providing flexible processor extension, flexible instruction set extension, and implicit emulation for upward software compatibility
EP0275448A1 (fr) * 1986-12-23 1988-07-27 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Méthode pour la mise en service d'un système de communication commandé par programme et construit d'une façon modulaire
CA1269177A (fr) * 1987-03-13 1990-05-15 Claude Jean Champagne Systeme pour maintenir la compatibilite du materiel et du logiciel dans les systemes de communication mobiles
JPH01287738A (ja) * 1988-05-16 1989-11-20 Toshiba Corp マイクロコンピュータ応用装置
US4979106A (en) * 1988-08-29 1990-12-18 Amdahl Corporation Customization of a system control program in response to initialization of a computer system
EP0393290B1 (fr) * 1989-04-19 1995-08-16 International Business Machines Corporation Dispositif de sélection de circuit mémoire et périphérique

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH05204617A (ja) 1993-08-13
JP3227542B2 (ja) 2001-11-12
DE69230117D1 (de) 1999-11-18
KR930001057A (ko) 1993-01-16
DE69230117T2 (de) 2000-06-15
KR100292005B1 (ko) 2001-09-17
EP0519695A2 (fr) 1992-12-23
EP0519695A3 (en) 1993-09-22
US5577232A (en) 1996-11-19

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP0519695B1 (fr) Procédé et appareil pour permettre à des circuits d'ordinateur de fonctionner avec des versions mises à jour de logiciel d'ordinateur
EP0308805B1 (fr) Interface de programme d'application pour l'entrée partie à plein écran
EP0322333B1 (fr) Méthode pour fournir un affichage d'apprentissage dynamique
EP0370274A2 (fr) Système d'émulation d'ordinateur personnel/hôte servant à traiter des données de l'hôte avec des programmes d'application sur des ordinateurs personnels
US6003131A (en) Computer system with a variety of applications and method for operating the same
US6418485B1 (en) System and method for managing device driver logical state information in an information handling system
US5862407A (en) System for performing DMA byte swapping within each data element in accordance to swapping indication bits within a DMA command
US5548784A (en) Automatic disk change detection without causing head movement by step pulses
US7657897B2 (en) Methods and apparatus for communicating between multiple levels of software components
US7065638B1 (en) Table-driven hardware control system
JP2812630B2 (ja) バッファ記憶装置のテスト方法およびテスト装置
JP3033713B2 (ja) 仮想計算機エミュレート装置
CA2021835C (fr) Methode selective de transfert d'informations affichees sur un ecran video
CA2148048A1 (fr) Module de pilotage video pour une multiplicite de controleurs video
KR20000008628A (ko) 컴퓨터 시스템의 부팅음악 출력방법
JPS6410854B2 (fr)
JP3467167B2 (ja) プログラミング言語処理系における割込処理方法、装置およびその記録媒体
JP3182621B2 (ja) テスト用プログラムモニタ装置
JPH0299379A (ja) プリンタ
JP2928128B2 (ja) Ｃｐｕ周辺装置のシミュレーション方式およびその方法
KR100436003B1 (ko) 디바이스드라이버적재방법
JPS63241636A (ja) デ−タ処理装置
JPH06309155A (ja) 情報処理システム、及び、情報処理システムの初期化方法
JPH0443431A (ja) 制御記憶へのマイクロプログラム格納方法
JPS59106048A (ja) マイクロプロセツサシステム

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT NL

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT NL

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19940309

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 19970627

GRAG Despatch of communication of intention to grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS AGRA

GRAG Despatch of communication of intention to grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS AGRA

GRAH Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS IGRA

GRAH Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS IGRA

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT NL

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 69230117

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 19991118

ET Fr: translation filed
ITF It: translation for a ep patent filed

Owner name: JACOBACCI & PERANI S.P.A.

PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

26N No opposition filed
REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: IF02

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 20030822

Year of fee payment: 12

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: NL

Payment date: 20040603

Year of fee payment: 13

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Payment date: 20040608

Year of fee payment: 13

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 20040616

Year of fee payment: 13

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20050101

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES;WARNING: LAPSES OF ITALIAN PATENTS WITH EFFECTIVE DATE BEFORE 2007 MAY HAVE OCCURRED AT ANY TIME BEFORE 2007. THE CORRECT EFFECTIVE DATE MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE RECORDED.

Effective date: 20050617

Ref country code: GB

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20050617

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: NL

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20060101

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20060228

GBPC Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20050617

NLV4 Nl: lapsed or anulled due to non-payment of the annual fee

Effective date: 20060101

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: FR

Ref legal event code: ST

Effective date: 20060228